Freedom of speech is an exceptional American value, indeed, that is what separates us from the rest of the world. I urge the University not to ban free speech, let Bill Maher speak, and let students bring Reza Aslan or myself to speak against Bill Maher's non-sense talk.

In America right now there's a battle that needs to be fought and won in our political arena. It's a battle over what kind of country, and what kind of planet, our children and grandchildren will live in.

As America becomes a country plagued by community violence, mass shootings, school shootings and missing children, we must also become a country of nosy neighbors. Vigilance works. It's really up to us.

Marriage has become a profound, if paradoxical, bell weather of our culture; for 21st century Americans it seems that marriage is at the same time both indispensable and disposable, acclaimed by all and unachievable by a majority. Discerning why this is so requires honest and patient conversation.

I had just left a group of the most compassionate and generous people, both villagers and visitors, in the poorest of areas who represented the best in human nature, to return to face the opposite in a country of such affluence. What direction has our society taken?

I've learned that there is a way to calm those fears and get people to risk sharing their deep feelings about this country. One reliable way is to say: Just stop and look. Just stop and look at America.

Military personnel must understand values all Americans share, but recognize how their responsibilities change with their oath. Every military initiative in the area of morals and ethics must be grounded in the core values that flow from that oath.

How we each can lift ourselves above the fray -- life's circumstances, negativity and excuses -- is the true message of Thanksgiving that I see. Because, if we're truly thankful, then we will know that our lives have a higher purpose, and our expression of gratitude is to live out that purpose.

The Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin incident -- both on and off the field -- reveals a culture where the "rules of the game" at best tolerated and at worst endorsed a "Wild West" culture of meanness, hazing, bullying and anything-goes.

Arguably, by intervening in Syria's civil war, President Obama is ignoring Washington's advice and repeating the mistakes of the Bush administration in aggressively invading foreign countries that pose little threat to the direct security of American citizens.

I recently took a trip to Japan, and got a first hand look at this centuries-old culture. Although only there for a week, it was enough time to leave a hugely positive impression and inspired thinking about what we as Americans can learn from the Japanese.

When a culture of high expectations finds itself between mythologies, it really is between a rock and a hard place. Given America's vast resources, habitable landscape, and culture of plenty, we never needed to pause to reflect. We just keep on going like the Energizer bunny.

When officials who hold power positions act arbitrarily and without values like doing the right thing, fairness, equality, and respect -- values that we consider part of our national identity -- innocent people and ultimately the moral authority of government itself suffers.

We live in critical times. So has every other generation of American citizens. We cannot realize the promise of our American Revolution by restoring the past. We cannot become the "summer soldier and sunshine patriot" of Thomas Paine's The American Crisis.

This week, mildly put, has been challenging: the Boston Marathon bombing; ricin-laced letters; the unexplained explosion in West, Texas; nuclear threats from North Korea; and a noticeable lack of courage and leadership in Congress.

Most people are committed to pointing their own kids toward a bright future. If we're able, we'll spend a small fortune on sports equipment and tuition. To ensure that our kids inherit an America like the one that we inherited, however, we need to start worrying about other people's children.

Who is responsible for this "values cliff" and how do we get back on track to a shared expectation of decency, responsibility and citizenship that we all can say is the real America of our traditions, aspirations, hopes and dreams?